Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins
National Touring Company
Buell Theater
Denver, CO
March 4 - April 4, 2010

I must admit, Mary Poppins is a not a movie I have seen much. In fact, I'm not sure I've seen the movie all the way through. But I am more than familiar with the songs from the movie and the basic storyline.

Despite my unfamiliarity to the specifics, I could tell that changes have been made from the movie version to this stage production. It 's darker and Mary Poppins is less perfect.

Throughout the show the audience is treated to the familiar songs fro the film. The context for "A Spoonful of Sugar" is not what the audience is familiar with, but we're glad it's there.

The song "Step In Time" was particularly entertaining. Not only did it contain an energetic dance sequence, but we saw Bert tap dance around the entire proscenium arch.

The new songs added for the stage show are mostly forgettable. They just don't have the pop of the original Sherman brothers score. But the charm of the story remains. 

The highlight of the night came during the finale where Mary Poppins opened her umbrella and floated over the audience. No wires were visible from where I was sitting, which left me with a child-like sense of wonder at the end.